Pumpkin Brie Quesadilla

Pumpkin. Brie. Pumpkin. Brie. Okay, I was going to try out this recipe. I knew there was a chance that it might end up in the trash. I also knew it could turn out amazing. Fortunately, it was so delicious! I might need to pick up some more brie.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
5 ounces brie, sliced thinly
8 6-inch tortillas

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Place 1 tortilla in the pan, spread 1/4 of pumpkin mixture over it then top with 1/4 of the brie. Lay a second tortilla on top. Cook each side until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Cut quesadillas into quarters. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Savory Pumpkin Recipes:
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage
Pumpkin Gnocchi with a Parmesan Sauce 
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
Pumpkin Soup with Sage Croutons and Bacon  

Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast Bake

Pumpkin and French toast, a match made in heaven! Not to mention perfect for a crisp, fall morning. This bake doesn't require maple syrup, but I will admit, a small drizzling of syrup does add a nice finishing touch to this dish. Besides, can you really have French toast without syrup?

Oh, and this pumpkin bake is amazing (dare I say, even a little better) as leftovers!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin French Toast
6 slices of sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb Topping
2 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon butter, cut into cubes

Directions:
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese filling ingredients on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy--about 3 minutes. Set aside.

In a seperate bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin puree, egg, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.

Lightly grease an 8x8 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange a layer of bread cubes in the dish. Pour half of the pumpkin mixure evenly over the bread. Then spread cream cheese mixture on top of that. Create another layer of bread cubes and pour the remaining pumpkin mixture of the bread.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator for a least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the crumb topping by combining the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add cold butter and toss together. Use your finger to work the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly ontop of the French toast bake.

Bake for 35  to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pumpkin Recipes:
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage 
Pumpkin Bread!
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Caramels!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Gnocchi with a Parmesan Sauce
Pumpkin Hot Cocoa 
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries
Pumpkin Penne Casserole
Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats  
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Roasted Pumpkin Chickpeas
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Soup with Sage Croutons and Bacon

It's pumpkin season again! First up, pumpkin soup! I've been longing to make pumpkin soup for years. I've read through a lot of recipes, and even tried a few--none very good, the one I made last year ended up in the trash. This year I decided to make my own based off a delicious butternut squash soup I made a couple of years ago. It was love at first taste.

Since Eric isn't a big pumpkin fan--at least when it's used in savory dishes--I made him a little tasting bowl. His reaction: If I liked pumpkin, it'd be really good. He did absolutely love the sage croutons though.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Soup
1 cup pumpkin puree
4 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
2-3 cups chicken stock (I used low sodium)
1 tablespoon butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
4 bacon slices, cooked
Dried parsley, garnish, optional

Sage Croutons
3 slices of sandwich bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

Directions:
Sage Croutons
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Cut bread into 1-inch squares. Toss bread with olive oil and spices. Spread the bread into a single layer on the cookie sheet.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until croutons are brown and crisp. Flip half way through baking.

Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Soup
In a saucepan, saute garlic and onions in the butter until they are translucent.  Remove from heat.

Place pumpkin and cream cheese into a food processor. Pour in sauteed garlic and onions. Blend until well combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer back into saucepan. (If you don't mind little pieces of garlic and onion floating in your soup, you can skip this step). Add 2 cups chicken stock, sage, and pumpkin pie spice to saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. Whisk ingredients together until well combined. If soup is thicker than you desire, add more chicken stock (I like my soup a little on the thick side). Season with salt and pepper but remember, you are going to add bacon so that will add a lot of sodium to your soup.

Once soup is thoroughly heated, remove from heat. Divide soup between four bowls. Garnish with parsley if desired. Add croutons and crumble 1 slice of bacon over each bowl.

Eric's tasting bowl

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pumpkin Recipes:
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Gnocchi with a Parmesan Sauce
Pumpkin Hot Cocoa 

Sage Croutons

I made these to go with my pumpkin soup, but they were so good that I can't wait to put them on salads or try them in other soups (tomato soup, baked potato soup, etc.) for a hint of those autumn flavors.

Ingredients:
3 slices of sandwich bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Cut bread into 1-inch squares. Toss bread with olive oil and spices. Spread the bread into a single layer on the cookie sheet.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until croutons are brown and crisp. Flip half way through baking.

Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Soup with Sage Croutons and Bacon

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Recipes:
Baked Potato Soup
Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
Baked Ziti
How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Homemade
Savory Apples Stuffed with Sage and Sausage

Pumpkin Gnocchi in a Parmesan Sauce

I know pumpkin is a little out of season right now, but Eric wanted pumpkin dip for his birthday and I didn't want to throw away the leftover pumpkin puree. So I googled "ideas for leftover pumpkin puree." There are a lot of lists out there. I knew I didn't want to do a dessert or a breakfast meal. I actually love pumpkin in savory dishes and the pumpkin gnocchi caught my eye. I immediately knew I wanted to use my Parmesan sauce for it because I love the way pumpkin and Parmesan go together. When I took my first bite, I was immediately transported to fall with its crisp air, colored leaves, and fat pumpkins. It's March and I'm already planning an autumn dinner party starring these pumpkin gnocchi.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin Gnocchi
1/2 pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk
12 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Parmesan Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used low sodium)
1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk)
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions:
Pumpkin Gnocchi
In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree and the egg yolk. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in 9 tablespoons of the flour and combine with the pumpkin puree. Add the remaining flour a little at a time until the mixture forms into dough.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, knead a couple of times, but make sure not to overwork the dough (this will make the gnocchi tough). Divide the dough into four sections; roll each section into a ball.

Roll each ball into a rope with a diameter of approximately 1 inch. With a butter knife, cut the rope into 2-inch sections. Light press a fork into each pieces to creates ridges (this helps the sauce adhere to the gnocchi).

Over medium-high heat, boil a large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of salt. In batches, add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Cook them until they float to the surface, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slated spoon. 

Parmesan Sauce
Melt butter in the bottom of a saucepan and saute the garlic until it turns a golden brown. Add flour and cook for about 1 minute while continually stirring. Pour in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, continually stirring so the sauce thickens. Reduce heat. Add Parmesan and stir until cheese is melted.

Serve sauce over the pumpkin gnocchi.

Pumpkin gnocchi and parmesan sauce with roasted peas.

Eric doesn't usually do the savory pumpkin dishes, but he actually liked this one--except the pairing of it with the cheese sauce. I think he would have preferred a brown butter sauce (I loved it with the cheese sauce).

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pumpkin Recipes:
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Caramels!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge

Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispie Treats

I have been looking for a good pumpkin rice krispie recipe for a couple of years now. I've seen them made with pumpkin spice marshmallows, but I don't care for the flavor of pumpkin spice marshmallows--their flavor is more spice than pumpkin (but they are great for decorating a haunted gingerbread house!). I've even seen them made with pumpkin spice Hershey kisses. Again, not really a fan of pumpkin spice kisses. I wanted a recipe that used actually pumpkin. And then I came across this one on Pinterest and it was exactly what I was looking for!

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
1/8 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal

Directions:
Grease a 9x13-inch pan with butter or cooking spray. 

In a large pan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in marshmallows. Once they are melted, remove from heat and add pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Stir until well combined.

Important: Unlike other rice krispie treats, you need to let the marshmallow mixture cool for 15 to 20 minutes. If you get impatient (like I did the first time) and don't let it cool and thicken, your treats will turn out too moist. They'll still taste yummy, but they don't have that nice crunch.

Pour in the cereal and coat well. Transfer to grease pan and press the treats into the pan with greased hands or spatula.

Allow to cool completely and cut into bars.

Because I was making two kinds of rice krispies--pumpkin and brown butter, I halved the recipe.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pumpkin Recipes
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage 
Pumpkin Bread!
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Caramels!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Hot Cocoa 
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries
Pumpkin Penne Casserole
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Roasted Pumpkin Chickpeas
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries

So I've been trying to not go too crazy with pumpkin recipes this year. Eric loves pumpkin, but I wear him out on it every fall. So this year I'm trying to be good. How good, we'll see. But I have been wanting to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies for some time now. Threw in some white chocolate chips and dried cranberries (I love dried cranberries) for good measure and came up with a pumpkin cookie that even Eric couldn't say no to (he also did not want to share them).

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 15-ounce canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups flour
2 cups quick oats
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy. Add in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Combine well and set aside.

In another large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

Drop a rounded tablespoons of the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to turn a light brown.

Meet Arya, my little helper and crumb catcher and new member of our family.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pumpkin Recipes
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage 
Pumpkin Bread!
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Caramels!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Hot Cocoa 
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Pumpkin Penne Casserole
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Roasted Pumpkin Chickpeas
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Chickpeas

For our honeymoon, Eric and I went up north to my parents' cabin. It's our favorite spot on earth--plus it's affordable (especially after paying for a wedding). I know many people wouldn't want to cook on their honeymoon, but I couldn't wait to make some our favorites (Parmesan seared chicken, pumpkin dip with cinnamon sugar pastries) and test out some new recipes. These roasted pumpkin chickpea were something I had bookmarked, but hadn't planned on making up north until I saw pumpkin butter in the fridge. I love roasted chickpeas and I love pumpkin so I knew I'd loved these--and I wasn't disappointed.

Normally roasted chickpeas are best right out of the oven. Hot and crispy. However, I like these better after they've sat for a bit and cooled. Yes, they are not crispy, but the flavor . . . the flavor is much more pumpkin-y and sweet the next day.

Now Eric is not a fan of the chickpea period (well, unless they're in hummus). But my mom is and I can't wait for her to try these!

Recipe adapted from here. 

Ingredients:
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin butter (store-bought or homemade)

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas then using paper towel, dry them. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin pie spice and olive oil. Add chickpeas and toss to coat.

Spread the chickpeas on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes.

Place the chickpeas back into a bowl and coat them with the pumpkin butter and sugar. Spread the chickpeas back out on the cookie sheet and bake for another 15 minutes.

Allow to cool.

These roasted pumpkin chickpeas really are the perfect fall snack!

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Pumpkin Recipes!
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Pumpkin-Black Bean Stew with Spicy Sausage 
Pumpkin Bread!
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Caramels!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Pumpkin Penne Casserole
Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Source

So this recipe wasn't on my autumn cooking list. Since I've been doing so much cooking and baking with pumpkin lately, I thought why not stir some into my morning oatmeal. Little did I know that it's turn out so yummy. It's the perfect breakfast for a cool fall morning.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quick oats
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of pumpkin pie spice
splash of vanilla extract
water or milk
raisins, garnish

Directions:
Mix water or milk together with the quick oats and microwave for 1 minute. Stir pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Sugar to your taste. Top with raisins.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

Also Check These Fall Recipes:  
Acorn Donuts
Applesauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting
Cheese Tortellini in a Pumpkin Sauce
Cinnamon-Sugar Pastry with Pumpkin Dip
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Pumpkin Bread!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Pumpkin Caramels!